1, 2, 3, Run!
by authenticaussie
Summary: He was trapped, stuck behind bars as finely crafted as the ones in front of him. What on earth could he do, when his father controlled so much of his life? There was nothing- Almost nothing, he thought as he stared at the city lights slowly winking to life in front of him. There was one thing he could do, though the idea was almost insane. But he couldn't just leave! Could he?
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** **My first reversebang~!**

 **My partner was kforkoala ( .com) and I shall link to their likely beautiful art once they post! (I'm a few hours ahead bc of AUS time vuv)**

* * *

His father's gloves rested against the dark wood, fingers pressed together and expression expectant. "You _failed,_ " he started slowly, and Sabo felt his throat constrict, "your classes again."

"Yes sir," he mumbled, head bowed. Though a desperate defence rested on his tongue, he knew saying that he'd done better than most of the others at his uni while balancing a schedule that'd make half of them burst into tears would only cause his father to sneer at him. Sabo couldn't just do _better –_ he had to be the _best._

"And why is that, do you think?" his father asked, in a tone that said he already had an answer but was waiting to see what excuse Sabo would come up with.

"Because-" he said, struggling frantically to come up with anything that wouldn't end with his father's anger building. His father waited patiently, tilting his head in a way that was almost amicable, and Sabo felt his apprehension grow. "Because I wasn't focusing?"

His father's lips pursed, and Sabo bit his lip, squeezing his eyes shut for a brief second to stop tears brimming at his eyes. He _knew_ that hadn't been the answer his father wanted, and the hesitant tone he'd said it in had probably made his father's anger worse.

"I've organised a few things that should motivate you a bit more, Sabo." Horror curled in his stomach, and he swallowed thickly, unable to help his apprehension. " _Because_ your scores lately have been so absolutely dismal, I have decided to send River Run College. I went there myself as a young man and still have many contacts from there that I keep in touch with."

 _Yeah, because they can still give you what you want,_ Sabo thought bitterly to himself, his fingers tightening behind his back as though he could use his hands to grab the words before they left his head. "And- and the-"

"Don't stutter," his father snapped, eyes narrowed, Sabo swallowed past the knot of fear in his throat.

"Sorry sir," he mumbled, and his father looked appeased, leaning back in his chair.

"By the end of the year you shall marry Vivi Nefertari, and secure our family's future. She's quite influential Sabo, so I expect you to be _civil_." The undercurrent to his father's words was so easily heard, Sabo wondered why his father had even bothered to try and disguise them.

 _I expect you to bow to her every whim and do exactly as I direct._

He ducked his head in a quick nod to show he'd heard but couldn't trust himself to speak and not say what was going through his head. Truthfully he'd barely understood anything. There were so many things confusing him in this conversation that he didn't even know where to start!

First his father had sprung marriage on him to a girl he'd never met, and _then_ his father said that Sabo was going to be moving from home for the rest of the year? He'd only had his birthday a few months ago, had only just turned twenty-two, and now his father wanted him to get _married?_

While being able to escape the stifling presence of his family and the dead air of their house was cause for celebration, the school his father had decided to send him to was nothing short of a prison. Sabo didn't _want_ to trade the comforting sight of the city skyline stretched before his window for a tight-collared uniform and statistics he'd never use.

He didn't _want_ to marry a lady he'd never met, and trade his meagre freedoms for another gilded cage, even if this one came with company that may've been slightly more bearable.

Sabo's feet felt heavy as he left his father's office, dragged down by the weight of his thoughts. His brain worked frantically to try and come up with a solution that would get him out of moving and marriage, but it was depressingly, hopelessly blank.

The click of his door shutting behind him made his heart sink even lower, and Sabo regarded his room with deadened eyes. He'd realised that as of now the time he had to relish his personal space was being pulled unstoppably down the drain. Though the room was relatively blank, characterised only by his notebooks on the desk and the few novels he'd managed to collect for himself, the room was still _his._

This was the room where he'd first imagined living a life far away from his father's controlling hands, this was the room he'd spent hours studying in, this was the room where he'd hidden his first personal journal, desperate to have _anything_ to get the thoughts running rampant through his head _out_.

He didn't _want_ to leave.

The feeling of desperation surged within him again, relentless and unstoppable, and in a few quick strides he'd thrown open the windows and stepped onto the balcony. White marble matched his knuckles, hands clenched around the banister, and he leaned over the edge, a strangled shout escaping him.

He couldn't scream his anger, knowing that his parents or the servants would easily hear it, and so the choked sound was all that he could let into the cooling air. His body shook, and Sabo let his knees collapse beneath him, dropping him to the ground. The bars of the banister mocked him, throwing shafts of light across his face – barring him from the garden and everything beyond. He was trapped, stuck behind bars as finely crafted as the ones in front of him.

What on earth could he _do,_ when his father controlled so much of his life?

There was _nothing-_

 _Almost nothing,_ he thought as he stared at the city lights slowly winking to life in front of him. There was _one_ thing he could do, though the idea was almost insane.

Sabo could escape, down to the city streets. Escape and vanish into the throngs of people, become another faceless nonentity that his father would never see again. He'd never have to worry about his decisions being made for him, never have to contemplate marrying someone, he'd never have to bite his tongue again for fear of being reprimanded for doing something that wasn't 'gentlemanly'.

But he couldn't just _leave!_

Could he?

His hands slipped from the bars to his side, and he bit his lip, the pain clearing the tangled rush of his thoughts.

He _could_ leave. He'd heard his father discuss how disappointing he was before, so when Sabo went missing his father wouldn't even look for him – and if Sabo timed it right, maybe his father wouldn't even realise he'd disappeared.

His legs still felt shaky as he stood, stomach churning, but his tight fists were strong and he refused to be bowed by the weight of uncertainty. He'd never wanted this life, being moulded to fit ideals he'd never believed in, and his decision now felt like someone had lifted a weight he'd never known had existed from his chest.

Turning from the city lights, knowing that in a few short days he'd be among them, Sabo headed for his closet, sorting clothes and supplies into two separate bags. One to trick his father, and a smaller one that he'd actually use while escaping to the streets.

Sabo would just have to bide his time, and hold strong to his patience. He knew he could survive a few more days, no matter if he thought they'd kill him.

He had to.

* * *

The world dissolved around him, fading into the harsh grate of his breath in his ears, the cold ache in his lungs, and the sweat he could feel trace a track down the side of his face. A strand of dark hair hung in his face, limp from sweat, and Ace heaved in desperate breaths, taking a break while he could.

His adrenaline easily tuned out the mob-like roar of the people eager to see blood – either his opponent's or his own would be enough to drive them further into a vicious frenzy.

The ringing _ding!_ of the starting bell made him lunge forwards, but his opponent did the same, swinging a sloppy fist over his head that he easily ducked under. Body surging upwards, Ace slammed his fist into their jaw, and grinned when he saw their feet leave the ground, neck snapping backwards.

They toppled like a monolith, slow but unstoppable.

He could see them try to rise, shaking off the dizziness, but easily held them down with a foot to the neck. The crowd around him roared as they began to count down, the sound bursting the bubble formed by his adrenaline, but no-one's voice was louder in his ears than Luffy's excited cheer.

The money from this fight would be enough to buy food for the next few weeks, even though he'd had to pay for it in bruises and an aching body. The thought of Luffy's happiness and a full belly was enough to satiate him, and as the final bell rang he felt exhilaration in his chest.

What a damn perfect night.

* * *

What a damn shitty night.

Sabo gave a muffled curse, shoulders hunching even further and satchel held tight in cold hands.

His escape plan had gone off without a hitch, but as soon as he'd found himself in the city he'd immediately gotten lost. He'd turned down twisted alleys and crossed so many streets he was soon unable to even point his way home if he'd tried.

He probably should have tried to plan a few more things before he'd left, like how he was going to earn money, and where he was going to stay. His illusions had broken as soon as night had properly fallen, but the cold that sank through his clothes did nothing to stop the elation that filled him.

Sabo may've been cold, lost, and starting to get hungry – but God, the feeling of freedom was amazing. Sabo had already felt laughter bubble in his throat just at the knowledge he had no-one to order him to eat and sleep and work on things that held no interest to him, and he'd already discovered things he'd never seen before.

Red flickered against the stones of the street before him, and Sabo moved forwards, curious to see where the light was coming from. A raucous chorus of voices cheering in some discordant harmony met his ears as he continued forwards and he ducked under the awning of a building, sneaking forwards till he could see past the crowd of people.

" _Woah,_ " he breathed, staring in wonderment as a guy _shorter_ than him punched a man in the face and sent him stumbling backwards. Lean and fast, the fighter darted backwards when their opponent got up and tried to kick them, and as they sped past the side of the circle Sabo caught the wild grin on their face.

He tried to move closer to get a better view, but was bumped to the side into someone else. An apology came automatically to his lips, but the glare he received silenced his words. "Scram, kid," the man said, quite literally spitting the words. Sabo wrinkled his nose at that.

"I'm not a kid," he said, and the man snorted, shoving him to the side. Sabo stumbled back again, but this time bumped into someone cheering madly. Sabo's nose wrinkled even further at the smell of alcohol, but it changed into a yelp as the man swung a hand – and a bottle – over his head. The bottle cracked over the head of the man who'd shoved him originally, and then the entire crowd dissolved into a messy skirmish full of yelling.

Sabo backed away from the crowd, unable to figure out how that'd all happened in such a short amount of time. He stopped when he back into the small wall that separated the crowd and the fighters, and tried to figure out how he was meant to escape.

"Hey!" someone yelled over the crowd, grabbing onto his bicep, and on instinct Sabo ripped his arm away, whirling on the person. It was the fighter from before, sweat-streaked but grinning as he asked, "Need a hand?"

"God yes," Sabo admitted, and the boy laughed, grabbing his arm again and pulling him through the crowd. The crush of people on all sides made him feel claustrophobic, but the boy weaved through them like an eel, slipping between gaps and weathering the surging mess with ease.

Sabo gasped in a grateful breath of fresh air when they broke free of the crowd, and was about to thank his rescuer when he realised he was still being dragged along. Before he could ask where they were going, though, they'd stopped in front of a freckled young man.

"Luffy," the man said, folding his arms and frowning, "who the hell is _this?_ "

"He's my new friend, Ace!" the boy – Luffy? – said, grinning, and turned to Sabo, staring expectantly.

Sabo jumped, realising what he wanted. "Ah- I'm- I'm Sabo." The instinct to add his last name was prominent, but he held it back, instead holding out his hand. Ace merely stared at it, expression absolutely foul _,_ and Sabo dropped his hand awkwardly. "Nice to meet you," he mumbled sarcastically under his breath, and Luffy grinned even wider.

What on earth was even going on here? Was Luffy an idiot or something? Why on earth had Sabo been declared Luffy's new friend when they'd only exchanged a total of six words? Absolute confusion filled him, only heightened when Ace turned on his heel and began to walk away.

"C'mon then!" Luffy said, tugging Sabo after him again.

 _What the hell,_ Sabo couldn't help but think, and obligingly followed, sensing no ill intent behind Luffy's innocent smile. Ace on the other hand…He wasn't even a hundred percent sure that the knife at Ace's belt was just for show, and they hadn't even had a conversation!

"So, where are you from?" Luffy asked curiously, and Sabo shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to come up with a lie from the top of his head.

"Uh- out of town. Not really from around here." Luffy made an understanding hum, and Sabo tried not to show how awkward he felt. "Where are we-" he started to ask, frowning, "Where are we going?"

Luffy's uncaring shrug made Sabo frown in confusion even more. "Nowhere, probably."

Was that code for something? Was he meant to understand that 'nowhere' was a bar or something like that? Honestly, Sabo hadn't felt more confused in his life.

Well, this was the start of his new life, anyway, and he had always wanted to try new things. He followed doggedly behind Ace and Luffy hopped in front of him, switching feet in a way that Sabo was _sure_ was going to make him trip as he walked backwards. "So do you do that every night?" he asked Luffy curiously, and Luffy snapped his head up from studying the pavement to grin, obviously pleased at Sabo attempting a conversation.

"Nah, only sometimes! Ace is a big _baby_ and won't let me fight when they come around," Luffy stuck his tongue out over his shoulder, and Sabo heard Ace scoff loudly in front of the both of them. He didn't turn around however, and Sabo rolled his eyes at Ace's ridiculous attitude. Honestly, he just seemed like a grump. Why did someone who had so far relegated their entire conversation to grunts and glares hang around someone who seemed so earnestly, honestly _happy_? "Ace fights all the time though!"

Sabo turned his attention back to Luffy, frowning in confusion until he connected the conversation again, and made a quiet noise of understanding before saying, "Well you looked pretty cool up there. Seemed like fun."

"Do _you_ do fights?" Luffy asked curiously, peering at Sabo's face, and Sabo tried to think of what to say. In _this_ situation, lying probably wasn't the best idea, and he'd rather not have Luffy call him out on it.

"Nah. I know some self-defence, but I'm not a good fighter. It'd be cool to learn though."

Luffy's grin got even bigger, and he looked to be about to say something more when Ace suddenly appeared behind him and hit Luffy over the head. Luffy began to whine, punching Ace in the shoulder, but Ace's glare was enough to make him pout and cross his arms, mumbling sulkily, "But I _want_ to."

" _No_ ," Ace ordered, the first words that Sabo had heard him utter since they'd left the fight ring, and he frowned, trying to figure out what they were talking about. Had he missed half the conversation or something?

Ace's eyes flicked to him, narrowed in a glare, but Sabo glared back until Ace turned on his heel and started to walk again. Luffy trailed after, and Sabo picked up his pace when Luffy looked back at him curiously.

Luffy watched him expectantly, the silence stretching thin, and though he would rather enjoy the quiet night, he'd easily figured that Luffy liked having conversations and so asked, "Where are you guys from?"

"Here!" Luffy chirped, jumping over dark cracks on the side walk as he talked. "Well actually Ace used to live with friends of my grandpa 'bout two hours out of the city, and I used to live here with grandpa, but then grandpa had to go away and he bought Ace here to take care of me. 'cept Ace didn't like being here so _he_ kept running around and I took care of myself. Then Dadan moved up here too and started running road tolls to get money, and-"

"Luffy, don't spill your life story," Ace said from in front of them, but the order seemed almost amused, and Sabo could see the glint of his teeth in a smirk when he turned his head.

"Sabo asked though!" Luffy said, hopping up till he could fall in line with Ace's long strides, "Hey, hey, do you think that if I _did_ step on a crack and break my mom's back, all I'd have to do to find her is find a lady that looks like me with a broken back? Do you think Zoro could do it? What about Sanji?"

"Sanji knows where his mom is," Ace replied, "and Zoro doesn't care. Anyway, you think Izo and Dadan aren't gonna get mad hearing you talk about breaking your mom's back? They like you calling them mom."

"Izo's not a _mom_ though," Luffy complained, "he's like- I dunno, he's like Izo. Like Marco during parties, except scarier!"

Ace snorted, and Sabo watched his grin widen as he slung an arm around Luffy's shoulders, leaning in close, "Oh yeah? Well who do you think's scarier – Marco when you mess up his bird feeders, or Izo when you mess with his makeup?"

Luffy opened his mouth, about to reply, but then paused, looking as though the question posed a serious dilemma.

The conversation between the two of them had made Sabo hang back, unwilling to disturb their talking, but just from listening he now understood what Luffy seemed to see in Ace. Maybe Ace just didn't like strangers – considering what'd happened with the first strangers Sabo had met at the fight, and how he'd inadvertently started a brawl with them, Sabo should probably have been a bit more wary with these two. However, it was hard to remember that things could hurt him when he'd never been in serious, life-threatening trouble before.

It was honestly strange being the odd one out in a conversation – though he'd often been talked over by his parents, and actually preferred it that way lest their attention be drawn to whatever part of himself they demanded he 'fix', Sabo found longing rest heavy in his chest. He _wanted_ to know these strangers better. He wanted to be involved in their conversations and their inside jokes and he wanted his life _now_ to be different from his life before.

Sabo couldn't bring himself to speak up, though. A lifetime of biting his tongue meant words failed him now, and he dutifully followed, hoping that Luffy would notice that Sabo's presence was gone and invite him back into their conversation.

Before that happened, however, they stopped in front of a well-lit door and Ace's arm slipped off Luffy's shoulder to dig around in his pocket, pulling out a handful of crumpled bills. Luffy held open the violet lacquered doors for Ace, but Ace didn't enter, instead keeping his gaze on Sabo.

Sabo's eyes flicked up to overhanging name, trying to see if it were any place he knew. "Shaky's rip-off bar," Sabo read out loud, than looked at Luffy and Ace. "You know, I feel like if you're trying to get the most out of that money, going to a place called 'rip off' probably isn't the best idea."

Luffy was staring at him like Sabo had just discovered a new species of puppy. "You can-" he started to ask, and Ace's face immediately snapped to Luffy.

"What?" Sabo asked, worried confusion making him frown, and he quickly looked around, trying to figure out what he could have possibly done to make Luffy stare at him like that. A glance down at his plain jeans and black boots did little to help him figure out if it was something on his clothes, either, and he glanced back to Luffy, thoroughly confused. Luffy was almost bouncing in excitement now, hopping up and down on the balls of his feet, and Sabo demanded, " _What?_ "

Ace's look really seemed to be all that was keeping Luffy in place and silent, but Luffy's excitement soon overpowered listening to Ace, and he burst out with, "You can _read?_ "

Sabo frowned even further, unsure of what to do. Both Ace's and Luffy's gazes were pinned on him expectantly, and nerves fluttered in his stomach. "Um- yes?"

He watched as his answer made Luffy bounce even more, hands flapping from his side, and Luffy cast Ace a pair of puppy dog eyes. Good _lord_ Sabo hoped that those were never turned on him – Luffy looked as though he were about to cry!

"Ace-," Luffy whined, sniffing, and Sabo watched Ace set his jaw, refusing to turn around. " _Aceeee,_ " Luffy whined again, and Ace started humming. Sabo had to clap a hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing, unable to figure out how the threatening young man from before had proven so easily tied around Luffy's finger. "Ace _pleaseeeee,_ " Luffy begged, and Sabo watched as Ace let out a massive groan, his entire body rolling with the movement.

"Fine!" he snapped, shooting Luffy a glare over his shoulder and then turning back to Sabo. "Luffy wants to learn to read," Ace said, pointing behind himself at Luffy. "Teach him."

"What?" Sabo asked in utter confusion, "Why?"

"Because otherwise I'll stab you?" Ace replied, smiling almost innocently, and Sabo worriedly kept an eye on him, unsure about how serious Ace actually was. When Ace glanced back at Luffy and saw his disapproving pout, however, he sighed and ground out, "I'll teach you to fight." He sighed even more heavily, eyes narrowing, "And you can stay with us till you find a place."

Sabo blinked, trying to reconcile Ace's earlier distrust and his now sulking kindness, but when Ace shifted irritably he nodded. "Alright then," he agreed, and Ace spat on his palm before holding it out, obviously waiting for Sabo to take it. He couldn't help the flash of disgust that went through him, beaten in instincts that sounded like his father telling him not be so disgusting.

Sabo snapped his hand out, wrapping his hand around Ace's, and grinned.

* * *

"So…" Sabo started, carefully following after Ace and Luffy as they strolled through the steadily darkening streets, "do you know _anything_ about reading?"

Luffy shook his head, swinging his arms back and forth, and Sabo bit his lip. Well, it shouldn't be _too_ bad, but Luffy seemed like one of those people that had an attention span equivalent to an Iphone battery life; short and fast to change. Sabo would probably have to think of a bunch of ways to keep Luffy's attention on actually _learning_.

They turned right, slipping down a narrow street that barely let Sabo see the stars, even as he craned his head upwards, eyes tracing the metal curvature of fire escapes pressed to the side of the buildings. Ace stopped, and Sabo almost ran into his back, barely stopping himself.

"This is our place." Ace said, harshly sweeping out his hand and indicating the narrow frame of a door and the squished building, pressed to the end of the alley wall. Sabo looked it up and down, unable to stop himself from frowning at the peeling paint and-

And the 'danger' sign?!

"That says ' _to be demolished_ '!" he cried, pointing at the sign and knowing horror was written all over his face.

Ace merely shrugged, pushing open the creaky door. "That's Atmos'. He said it'd stop people from bugging us all the time about staying here."

Sabo gave a weak whine, still concerned, but he was unwilling to provoke Ace's temper and slipped past Ace into his and Luffy's…house.

Honestly, Sabo wasn't 100% sure that demolition sign was fake – the staircase was half-built and looked _way_ too dangerous to climb up, the kitchen barely looked like a kitchen, and even though he could see pillows and blankets strewn across the floor, there was no evidence of beds _anywhere._

Not even a _sofa_ made up the furniture of the house, and Sabo forced himself not to turn up his nose in disgust, used to living conditions that were _much_ better than this.

"I-" he started, looking around, "take it you don't have any books, either."

When Luffy only looked at him in curiosity, Sabo pursed his lips and tried not to feel that he _may_ have bitten off slightly more than he could chew with this deal.

Ace pushed past him, dumping a large bag onto the table, and Luffy eagerly leapt for it before Ace's elbow pushed him away. " _Oy,_ " he growled warningly, "lemme divide it first." Luffy pouted, shifting impatiently as Ace grabbed packets of wrapped substances and bread from the bag, his hands working steadily. "Luffy eats like a horse," he warned, eyes fastened on the bread so Luffy couldn't steal anything. "Get in quick."

"Yes!" Luffy cried as soon as Ace grabbed his share and moved from the table, and he pounced on the meagre meat and bread spread on the table.

Sabo quickly moved forwards too grab his share but Ace stopped him, palm pressed to his chest. "This is the only time I'm feeding you." Ace hissed, eyes flicking back to Luffy, "You gotta earn your own keep."

For a moment he stared, unable to figure out what Ace meant, but realisation hit him soon after and he replied, "Fine."

He pushed past Ace, snatching his bread from Luffy's probing grasp, and quickly stuffed it in his mouth to prevent it being stolen. He'd seen how quickly Ace and Luffy had devoured their food, and though the small amount likely wouldn't keep him from feeling hungry he didn't want his food to be taken.

Mind wistfully recalling the spread of food at his house, Sabo heard his stomach give a low rumble of complaint, demanding more food. Luffy giggled at the sound, flopping to the floor. "You eat as much as Ace and me!"

Guilt pooled in Sabo's stomach, crushing his hunger, and he stared at Luffy with wide eyes. "Wait, so you only eat that much every day?"

Luffy nodded, blinking at him curiously.

Schooling his features, Sabo tried to control the shame he could feel rest in his chest. This was all they had – and they'd shared it with him. They'd shared, and all he'd done was complain about how little food there was. Though he might have done it mentally, he couldn't help but chastise himself.

"Oy, Lufe." Ace said, interrupting Sabo's internal angry spiel at himself, "If you're gonna train him like us you better bring him up to scratch fast. He looks like Stefan could knock him over easy."

When Luffy grinned at him, Sabo was reminded of how viciously he took down the other man in the ring, and couldn't help but gulp, smiling shakily back.


	2. Chapter 2

"This," Ace said, pointing out people who often waved back, "is Izo, Thatch, Marco, Haruta, Rayuko-,"

His voice continued, listing off people with the ease of long practice, but Sabo soon found himself completely lost, unable to connect names with faces. Even parties with his parents rarely had this many people! And even if there _were_ that many, usually Sabo could get away with not learning everyone's name – here, Sabo desperately wanted to impress Ace and Luffy, but there were so many more people than he expected.

Though it'd taken a few days of begging from Luffy, Ace had finally given in and decided to introduce Sabo to their extended 'family'. Luffy had been regaling him with tales of their adventures since Ace had agreed, and though Sabo was slightly terrified (one of them apparently knew how to defuse a bomb using twine and a plastic knife, for God's sake!) he couldn't help but feel excited at the thought of meeting Ace and Luffy's family.

He hadn't even _realised_ one person could chose their own family, and though he tried to quash it, knowing that if he ever told them where he was actually from, they'd likely hate him – considering Ace's loud opinion on the subject – longing still rested in his chest.

His head swivelled as he tried to take in everything that was going on, and for once he was silently thankful that Luffy hadn't decided to bound away as soon as he'd seen someone he was friends with. It meant that he could hover around Luffy's side, hearing Luffy slip strangers' names into his conversations so he could later join.

While the room was filled with people and noise, as the night went on more and more groups became obvious, as people settled down with soft drinks or alcohol and a deck of well-worn cards.

Ace had disappeared into the crowd long before, and though Sabo could see him weaving his way through conversations, he hadn't deigned to return. Luffy had dragged him around to meet at least a hundred different people over the last few hours, but had finally settled for drifting from group to group. Sabo dutifully followed, still uncomfortable with all the strangers he'd met.

Currently they sat next to a group of people who all had biceps bigger than his head but still grinned at him like he'd become their best friend in the past two seconds. This entire situation was way _, way_ too confusing for him to even think about making sense of it, so he instead tried to work out the rules for the card game they'd been playing for the past half-hour.

"How do you even play this game?" he mumbled to himself, frowning again as the lady next to him did something completely confusing.

Luffy looked at him in confusion, before asking, "You don't know the rules of poker?"

Afraid that he'd accidently revealed something about himself that most normal homeless people would know, he quickly blurted, "No-one let me play."

"You _have_ played Twister, though, right?" Luffy asked, and he looked so earnestly worried that Sabo felt bad for answering negatively. Luffy's expression twisted in horror, and then he leapt up from his chair, shouting, "SABO'S NEVER PLAYED TWISTER!"

Sabo reeled back, surprised by the sudden volume change in Luffy's voice. His shock meant that it took a little while for him to realise that the crowd around them had grown silent. When he realised that the people nearest to them were staring, however, he could help but subconsciously shift, an embarrassed heat coming to his cheeks.

" _What_?" he demanded.

"I BAGS LUFFY!" someone suddenly yelled, and Sabo was shoved out of the way by a man with a gravity-defying hairstyle. He tripped over his own feet as the crowd erupted into a flurry of movement and noise, various people claiming partnerships or teams, and he would have been sent sprawling had it not been for a manicured grip on his arm.

"Thanks," he mumbled, brushing off his sleeve, and …( _Haruta? Vista?_ he mused rather hopelessly) nodded.

"It's no problem." Sabo's saviour said, surveying the crowd, and then suddenly he moved forwards and pulled Ace from the throng.

"What Izo?" Ace said, while Sabo mentally went _ah-ha! Izo!_

"Don't leave our poor little newbie without a partner, now." Izo tutted, and though Sabo could easily see a refusal on Ace's tongue, obviously this Izo had some sort of power over Ace, because he only groaned and stomped away, dragging Sabo to a brightly coloured sheet.

Well, several brightly coloured sheets.

Sabo was _pretty_ sure he'd seen them before, but he couldn't place where. The sheer size of the sheet could be what was confusing him too. Though he was unsure about how they were all going to fit on that thing, it was still much bigger than any carpet he'd ever seen – even when his mother had forcibly bought him shopping in an attempt to teach him how to co-ordinate furniture. _That_ had been a boring week.

"Left foot red!" someone called out, and the groups of two stationed around the mat quickly found the easiest position to put their feet in.

"Just listen to the instructions and don't fall over," Ace ordered, leaning over the plastic sheets and finding a red. "If I've got a colour you don't need to get it. Okay?"

Sabo nodded, and obediently placed his left hand on blue when it was called. _This doesn't look to bad,_ he thought, watching everyone find spots easily.

A few turns later, and he was intensely regretting that thought. His arm was twisted under Atmos' body, and Luffy was leaning over him, somehow managing to stay balanced though his feet were entangled in two other people's.

"Isn't this fun?" Luffy asked, grinning at him, and Sabo grunted, sliding his left foot to blue when he saw Ace couldn't reach it without crushing someone's hand.

"Yeah," he said, attempting a smile, and Luffy laughed.

"Get your ass out of my face!" Ace suddenly yelled, as Haruta wriggled underneath Namur and shoved Thatch's hand off a blue spot, making three people tumble to the ground with loud yelps.

"Get your face out of my ass!" Haruta shot back, and Ace growled.

Sabo pressed his lips together to stop himself from laughing, and Luffy grinned even wider. "Ace gets really aggressive when he plays," he whispered to Sabo, and Sabo snorted.

"I couldn't tell," he replied.

"Right foot green," Izo called, and Sabo groaned quietly, trying to see if Ace was going to move. Luffy merely shifted, wriggling his way through the gaps, and Sabo couldn't help but gape.

"Do you have bones?" he demanded, and Luffy giggled, grinning. Everyone else around him groaned.

"No-one's sure if he does," someone said by his ear, blowing a long strand of persistent fringe from their sight. "It's why everyone demands he be on their team."

"I _like_ twister," Luffy declared proudly, and someone nudged him in the shoulder, as though to say 'no duh'.

The movement, however, sent him rocking back onto Sabo's arm, and he found himself swaying, his balance affected by his weird position and by Luffy's not-so-gentle shove. As Ace shifted his foot to the green circle, Sabo found himself slowly tipping, and watched in horror as he bought down ten people – Ace and Luffy included – on top of him.

Someone's elbow landed in his stomach, and he was pretty sure three knees hit his leg, but though in pain everyone's laughter at the sudden tumble made him smile. If he'd been with his parents this ridiculously silly game would have been turned into something with twenty different rules, and if he'd failed he would've been only met with scornful looks instead of amused laughter.

When Luffy reached out a hand to help him up, Sabo couldn't help but tentatively ask, "Can we play again?"


	3. Chapter 3

Ace scoffed at Sabo's feet, knocking them out so he bent his knees lower, and pushed Sabo's hands further in front of his face. "Unless you wanna lose a tooth keep your hands up," he chastised, and Luffy opened his mouth wide, peeling his mouth back to show a gap at the back he wriggled his tongue through.

Sabo winced back in surprise, but a quick hit from Ace on his shoulder made him quickly refocusing trying to recall the position Ace had shown him.

"Head up, and always move forwards," Ace ordered, and Luffy added,

"Always remember to duck!"

Sabo nodded, their advice playing on repeat in his head as Luffy slid in front of him and beckoned him forwards. He hesitantly took a step, but Ace tutted. "Pick a move and go with it." As though to demonstrate, Luffy lunged forwards. Sabo yelped, stumbling backwards, and Ace yelled, "Hands up!"

Sabo tried to follow their orders, keeping his hands up again, but ducking only further unbalanced him and he tripped over his own feet, falling to the floor,

"We _so_ have a long way to go…," Luffy mumbled, staring down at him, and Ace scoffed, heading to the door.

"Yeah well, _you_ have a long way to go with your letters." Sabo replied, and heard Ace's bark of laughter when Luffy groaned.

* * *

The sun burnt his arms, heat seeping through his clothes even with the wind sneaking through every gap in his shirt. "I thought you said it was summer," he complained, trying to figure out if he should take his coat off or leave it on.

The weather was so _different_ than he was used to during the seasons; usually he didn't go outside, or if he did it was while being shuffled from house to car and back again, leaving him little time to enjoy the sunlight, whether it be in winter or in summer.

While his house was big, filled with sweeping windows and graceful architecture, it was also often cold – and only some of that wasn't to do with the chill silences that fell over his family at meal times.

"It _is_ summer," Luffy said, like he had to spell it out for Sabo, "it's just a cold day today."

Sabo scoffed, before grumbling, "Get the weather to make up its mind."

Luffy snorted before ducking ahead, and Sabo's eyes widened in shock when his fingers slipped easily into a stranger's pockets.

"H-hey-" he tried to say, but Ace elbowed him. "What? You think we earn enough money with fighting for how much Luffy eats?"

 _Luffy eats barely anything,_ Sabo thought, but kept his mouth shut, instead mumbling, "sorry."

Ace looked appeased, before grinning savagely at Sabo. "Keep up," he challenged, before darting after Luffy, skipping close to the road and harried businessmen, slipping their wallets or spare change out of unsuspecting pockets with the ease of long practice.

Sabo still couldn't help but gape, but when Ace looked back at him, his grey eyes sharp, he swallowed and moved forwards. Hesitant at first, he slowly gathered enough confidence to bump into people and tried to grab their wallets.

He, of course, failed epically.

"Hey!" someone called in front of him, and Sabo felt a breath of relief leave him when Ace's attention turned from his pathetic progress. The panic on Ace's face made him rethink his relief, instead quickly weaving through the crowd and feeling horror hit him when he saw Luffy's tiny wrist trapped in the hands of a police officer.

 _Shit,_ he thought, and then ducked out of the crowd, ramming into the cop. The cop let go of Luffy with a surprised cry, and Sabo quickly grabbed his hand, pulling him back into the crowd.

"What do we _do_?" Luffy said in panic, stumbling after Sabo and looking around in harried confusion at the grasping hands that started to reach for the both of them.

"We _run!"_ Sabo yelled, dragging him along as he sprinted through the street.

"Stop those kids!" someone ordered from behind him, but Sabo didn't even think about turning around, letting his world fade to the harsh breath in his throat and the pavement beneath his feet.

When the crowd had finally thinned and they'd lost their pursuers, Sabo staggered to a slow halt, clutching his stomach and trying to resist the urge to throw up. God, he hadn't run for that long or fast in _ages._

"Your stamina sucks shit," Ace said with narrowed eyes as he jogged up behind them, glancing around, and Sabo glared at him, trying to get his breathing under control and envious of the fact Ace looked only just out of breath.

Luffy, looking significantly calmer than before, added, "It really does."

"Didn't you say you'd done this before?" Ace demanded, and Sabo felt a cold flush go through him. He probably would have stiffened had he not been still desperately trying to get his breath back.

"Yeah," he muttered, and Ace scoffed.

"Man, how do you even escape from the cops?"

Luffy's slowly spreading grin made Sabo instantly feel like he was going to regret whatever came out of that kid's mouth. "Bet he got caught."

"I did _not!_ " he immediately defended, leaving out the fact that- well, if he'd never done it before, he couldn't have gotten caught for it.

"Yeah? Who've you stole from then?" Ace asked tauntingly, and Sabo flushed. Luffy immediately crowed out laughter, clapping his hands together.

"Bet it was a cop!"

"I did not try and steal from a cop!"

Ace shrugged, folding his arms as he hid a smile, "Luffy tried to steal from a cop."

"You dared me to!" Luffy said petulantly, attention flicking from Sabo to Ace.

"And?"

" _Jerk,"_ Luffy said, shoving Ace in the shoulder, but Ace only grinned, rocking back on his heels. Luffy huffed at that, before poking his tongue out and flouncing ahead of them. "I'm not hanging out with jerks!"

"Have fun by yourself little brother!" Ace called after him, but Luffy only screwed up his nose at Ace, jumping ahead of them and hopping between pavement blocks. For a moment, he and Ace were silent, Sabo carefully keeping an eye on Luffy. "Thanks, by the way." Ace suddenly mumbled, hands shoved in his pockets and shoulders by his ears.

Sabo frowned at him in confusion. "For what?"

"For-," Ace started, his shoulders hitching even more, "Just thanks okay! Thanks for helping Luffy."

Sabo couldn't help but laugh at Ace's sullen sulking, grinning when Ace glared at him. "It's no problem," he said, gently bumping into Ace's shoulder and smiling even more at Ace's quickly hidden look of surprise. "No matter what you think, I care about him too."

* * *

Over the next few weeks following that first disastrous attempt to see Sabo's thievery skills, Ace found him slowly growing attached to Sabo's sarcastic sense of humour and his subtle, scathing insults. His tongue was almost as sharp as Ace's, but his wit was faster where Ace's was cruel.

Though Ace was still suspicious of where he came from, he'd slowly let go of his reluctance to trust Sabo, knowing that if Luffy trusted him he couldn't be from anywhere _too_ bad.

He was unable to stop himself from grinning at the thought of what was to come tonight though. Luffy had already dragged Sabo up the staircases, claiming that they had to get to the roof before nine, and though Sabo had at first seemed wary, he still followed after Luffy dutifully.

It was still strange to watch as Sabo changed from a flat-footed, chin high stranger to a friend who jumped over rotting floorboards with easy confidence.

Ace followed Luffy's chatter, bypassing the creaky boards and scaling part of the railing to get to the roof. He had to shimmy out the window to reach Sabo and Luffy at the very top, but it was easy enough for him to pull himself up and he quickly joined them.

"So?" Sabo asked when Ace arrived, looking around the roof in curiosity. "What did you guys want to show me?"

"It's not here yet," Luffy said teasingly, flopping down to the ground, and Ace merely grinned at Sabo before sitting down with more grace and then laying down, hands under his head. Their roof, while not the highest, still let the sky stretch before them, and there were stars speckled around, so close he could touch them. Though the streetlights swallowed a few, he'd never known different, and the sight still fascinated him.

"How long?" he asked Luffy, tilting his head slightly, and Luffy shrugged, refusing to tear his gaze off the sky.

"Two minutes?" he offered, and Sabo looked between the two of them, obviously confused.

"Until what?" he demanded, but Luffy and Ace only grinned at him and didn't answer. Mouth open to speak again, he was cut off by a loud bang, and Luffy cheered. The bang made Sabo flinch, his head shooting to the sky, and a few seconds later, another burst of colour filled the night.

"Fireworks?" he asked, eyes wide, and Luffy grabbed his coat, tugging him down so he could sit. The fireworks burst almost on top of them, filling the alley with the echoing ricochet of noise, and Sabo gaped, unable to believe how close they were.

"S' Atmos'," Ace said in explanation, delighting in the sight of Sabo's wonder, "He does 'em every year for July fourth, and he always does 'em so we can see."

"Wow," Sabo breathed, his face open in wonder, and then laughed at the sight of spinning gold and the bursts of blue and red. "Thanks."

"You can thank me by fighting me," he suddenly said, pulling himself up, and Sabo blinked, his face lit by sharp flashes of colour.

" _Now?"_ he asked, and Ace nodded, falling into his stance. Sabo quickly followed, launching himself at Ace as soon as they were both ready. Luffy cheered as Ace ducked out of the way. They quickly fell into a weaving dance, twisting around each other without paying attention to the rest of the world.

Then, Sabo managed to knock Ace's feet from under him. Ace hit the roof with a pained grunt _,_ and Sabo immediately tackled him, trying to keep him pinned. Ace thrust his body up, however, and though stronger than he'd been at first, Sabo was still sent rolling. They struggled for a moment like cats, and then Sabo managed to pin Ace again.

Heaving frantic breaths, Ace watched Sabo's grin spread across his face, and tried to ignore the flush of heat he could feel spread across his cheeks. "G- good job," he stammered, cursing himself internally at the falter. Sabo opened his mouth, about to reply, but Luffy suddenly tackled them both, sending them down in a tangle of limbs and chattering excitedly.

Ace grinned at him, and Sabo burst into laughter, tilting his head back to stare at the fireworks and rejoicing at the feeling of sweet happiness nestling in his stomach.

"Sabo should try a fight now!" Luffy cried, and Sabo felt his happiness vanish, swallowed by sudden panic.

"What?"

* * *

Ace's hands fluttered over his shoulders, grazing his bare muscle, and Sabo tried to take a steadying breath, Ace's barely visible anxiety infecting him. Nerves bubbled in his stomach like tonic. He knew, logically, that Ace had organised for him to fight another first-timer, and he knew that Ace and Luffy wouldn't have let him fight if they didn't think he was ready, but a hundred other worries still filled his head.

What if he froze while fighting, and was beaten to the dust? What if he tripped, or lost his balance? What if-

What if he disappointed them?

That fear hovered at the forefront of his mind, making him feel sick, and it was all Sabo could do to keep his mouth shut instead of confess that he couldn't do it.

Luffy emerged from the crowd in front of them, grinning and waving around a sheet filled with his chicken scratch writing.

"We got a bunch'a bets on Sabo!" his usual sniggering laughter made Sabo smile reflexively, but it dropped soon after, and he couldn't help but try and see if he could spot his opponent across the ring. The every-shifting mass of people in front of him made the endeavour difficult, however, and he gave up, studying his white knuckles and trying to keep calm.

Oh God, what if he couldn't do it? What if he lost the fight, and all the money Ace and Luffy had bet on him? That was their food money for the week-

"Guys-" he tried to say, but he sounded so strangled he stopped, burning embarrassment lighting his face.

Luffy's curious expression turned to him, head cocked to the side, and Sabo felt the anxiety in his throat tighten incrementally.

He was going to be _sick_ -!

Ace's hands found his shoulders, and then Ace kneeled in the dirt in front of him, steady gaze locked on Sabo's.

"Oy," he said, thumbs pressing to Sabo's collarbone to ground him, "don't freak. It's easy."

Sabo gave a short, derisive laugh. "Easy for you to say-" he mumbled, and watched as Ace's eyes narrowed further.

"Yeah, easy for me. Because I got up there and fought and then kept coming back till the fear went away." Sabo opened his mouth, trying to reply, but Ace interrupted, whispering, "You'll do fine. Only reason I kept getting beat is because no-one trained me, or told me I was stupid for trying to fight when I wasn't ready."

The quirk of his lips made a shaky smile come to Sabo's, and he swallowed back his fear, closing his eyes and shutting out the crowd. He could do this.

Ace's hands slipped from his shoulders to his cheeks, and then soft lips pressed to his forehead, and his eyes snapped open, surprise colouring his face. His head jolted upwards, but Ace only grinned like there was nothing out of the ordinary and disappeared into the crowd.

Luffy regarded him for a moment, a second of what almost looked like curious calculation passing through his eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it'd come and he was grinning again, grabbing Sabo's hand to tug him forwards and shove him into the ring.

"Have fun!" he called, and then was swallowed by the crowd.

Sabo's head swivelled as he tried to take in the moving throng, and for a moment his fear roared in him uncontrollably, his flight instincts screaming at him to escape.

Then, his eyes landed on his opponent, and it vanished. _Concentrate,_ he ordered himself, banishing his nerves to the back of his mind, and Ace's comforting words surged to the forefront of his mind.

 _You'll do fine._

The starting bell rung through the air, sharp and sudden, and before it'd even stopped Sabo's opponent had lunged forwards. With a yelp, he stumbled backwards, barely missing the man's fist.

His feet twisted beneath him as he tried to keep away from the ham-fisted, swinging attacks of his opponent, and he found himself stuck on defensive, trying to avoid getting hit.

 _Attack!_ He heard in his head, _You can't be afraid of getting hit!_

That had been Ace's constant call when Sabo had spent too long dodging, and heducked underneath the long reach of the man's next swing, barrelling forwards and ramming his opponent backwards into the throng of people. The steadying hands of the crowd, however, let Sabo's opponent find his balance, and he lashed out, slamming Sabo in the side.

His head ached, black dots filling his vision, and Sabo staggered to the side, dizzy. The crowd's roar faded to a muted hum, drowned by the pain in his head, but then came back in sudden clarity when he was beaten to the ground. He coughed at the dirt and dust that invaded his throat, but rolled to the side, the man's foot smashing down where his back had been a few seconds before. Though still nauseous, he pushed himself to his feet and hefted his fists in front of him, feeling the tang of blood in his mouth.

His chest heaved at the exhilaration and the exertion, and for a moment the two of them regarded each other.

 _Stay light,_ came Ace's voice in his head, and Sabo shifted his weight to the balls of his feet before he lunged forwards, Ace and Luffy's advice in his head. _We're always gonna be smaller, so hit them fast and where it hurts._

 _Never back down – push them back every time they try and push **you** back._

 _Don't forget to duck._

Sabo's fist connected with the man's jaw, and then he twisted, his leg snapping out from the side to hit the man's calf, pushing it out from under him. His weight shifted, and he slammed his knee upwards, hearing the man's jaw snap closed with a _crack._ Momentum drove Sabo's opponent backwards, and he lunged forwards, palm flat, to speed up the process.

The man's head hit the ground with a _thunk,_ and Sabo pulled back, watching carefully for any signs of movement. Only a groan met his ears, and when the roar of the crowd grew even louder and someone's hand fastened itself around his wrist and pulled his arm to the air, he tore his gaze from his opponent.

Realisation hit him a moment later, and then he was grinning and Luffy had scampered over to him, squishing him close in a choking hug that had him awkwardly patting Luffy's back.

" _Nice,_ " Ace said, grinning as he entered the ring, and he held his hand up for a high-five that Sabo eagerly gave, elated over his victory. 

He couldn't help but laugh, his earlier nerves washed away by his triumph in the ring, and when Ace slung his arm over Sabo's shoulder, he couldn't help but lean into it, surrounded on both sides by people he could trust.

Though foreign, the happiness in his chest was addictive, and even as the three of them peeled themselves from the grip of the crowd, Sabo couldn't help but feel the intoxicating sway of people, a ghostly sensation that rested in his bones.

The night was dark, but streetlamps lit their way, and Sabo relished in the gold light spanning the sidewalk like a walk of victory.

"Your spoils," Ace said with a grin once they were far enough away from the crowd, and he pulled out a wad of cash that had Sabo gaping.

"You mean- I earned all that?"

"People bet against you," Luffy said with a shrug, but his grin was anything but innocent, "which was really stupid of them."

Sabo laughed, pulling Ace and Luffy closer to him amidst protests, and tried to capture the feeling of happiness in his chest.

Nothing could get better than this.

(In the darkness, a figure slipped away.)


	4. Chapter 4

The three of them eventually managed to stagger to Whitebeard's pub, losing their way a couple of times but showing up at the door with wide grins, dirty knees, and – in Sabo's case – a bloody lip.

Izo took one look at them, winced, and gave a high-pitched half-whine.

"Shower," he ordered squeakily, grabbing Ace and Luffy by the upper arm and ignoring their sudden looks of horror, and though Sabo tried to quickly turn and escape out the door, Izo's silent threat made him gulp and stop. "All of you," Izo said slowly, racking his gaze up and down their dirty clothes, "haven't showered for a _week,_ have you?"

Ace's gaze flicked to the side and he pursed his lips, and Luffy did the same, but not before mumbling, "Maybe two."

Izo's high-pitched noise returned, and Sabo winced.

" _Shower,_ " he ordered again, and frog-marched Ace and Luffy through the pub and out the back.

"Hey!" someone called from the bar, raising a drink, "di'you win, Sab?"

"He beat 'em to the dust!" Ace called back as he was dragged after Izo, and a chorus of cheers and laughter rose from the bar.

Ace was the first one shoved into the bathroom, and Izo refused to leave until Ace's hand had shoved out his clothes – belt and bright hat included. Then, Izo had made to grab Sabo's arm.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Sabo said, raising his hands in surrender, unwilling to have Izo's sharp nails anywhere near him.

Izo regarded him suspiciously for a second, but as Luffy chose that moment to make a break for it, he let Sabo get away with keeping his autonomy and instead marched Luffy to the next bathroom, this time repeating the process with the threat of, "You'd better shower well or I'm scrubbing your ears for you!"

Luffy's yelp and his clothes flying out of the bathroom was more than enough for Sabo to realise that Izo's threats were something to be taken _very_ seriously.

When Izo stopped in front of the next bathroom and raised his eyebrow, Sabo quickly scampered in and locked the door, shedding his clothes as fast as he could.

The hot water felt blessedly nice against his dirty skin, but he still scrubbed quickly, knowing for certain that if he spent too long in the shower he'd start to enjoy the warmth too much and never get out. On top of that, he knew his old habits would kick in, and he'd likely end up _to_ clean to pass as someone who'd almost never experienced showers. With a few quick swipes he'd gotten rid of most of the dirt coating him, and cleaned off the blood from his face.

When he was relatively clean and dressed he went outside, only to be confronted with Izo, who gave him a disapproving look.

" _Ohhh_ no pretty boy," Izo said, taking hold of his ear even as Sabo began to protest, "Go have a _proper_ wash!"

"But I did!" he said, and Izo tutted, half-throwing him back in the bathroom.

Ten minutes later and he was finally released from Izo's hawk-eyed watch and given an oversized pair of clothes from one of the other Whitebeards to wear.

Why they couldn't find anyone even _close_ to his size was beyond him, but as Izo had whisked his other clothes away to be washed and Sabo didn't really want to wander around in nothing, he'd swallowed his pride and kept a firm hand around his slipping pants.

Ace and Luffy looked significantly cleaner too when he found them, but their expressions reminded Sabo of a pair of scolded puppies. When Izo peered at them all three quickly shied away, but with pursed lips Izo deemed them clean. Sabo refused to admit that he'd given a sigh of relief.

"Nitpicker," he mumbled under his breath, and saw Luffy giggle quietly, covering his mouth when Izo turned around again and looked at them suspiciously.

"At least he isn't trying to make us clothes again," Ace muttered back, and that sent Luffy over the edge, making him clasp his hands over his mouth to prevent any laughter from escaping him.

"Oh go celebrate," Izo grumbled, pushing Ace's head to the floor, but though his tone was grumpy a smile flickered on his lips.

"Thanks Izo!" Luffy cheered, darting past the well-made man without a backwards glance and calling for food.

"You coming?" Ace asked out a hand for Sabo to take, and he grabbed it, using Ace's help to pull himself to his feet.

Izo, who'd just been about to leave the room, turned suddenly, an expression of realisation on his face. "I remember now. Vista's been looking for you, Sabo."

"Who?"

"Mustached guy. He likes flowers. I think he went to your match to catch up with you, but I don't think he's back yet."

Sabo cast a quick look at Ace. "I think we're staying for a while, so if he gets back-"

"I'll tell him," Izo said with a nod, and breezed out of the room again.

Ace followed after Izo, but stopped and grinned when he saw Sabo hitch up his jeans again.

"What?" Sabo defended, trying to figure out if he could roll them up so they stopped slipping, "They're too big!"

"Poor baby," Ace teased, and Sabo stuck out his tongue, swatting Ace over the head as he pushed past him and out into the party.

Luffy had been swallowed by the crowd, but Sabo could see him standing next to some blue-haired girl hovering in the corner, and made a mental note to go over and introduce himself later on. He'd met a few of Luffy's friends at other Whitebeard celebrations (they seemed to have them every other week, celebrating _something_ or another), and they'd all been rather friendly.

Although he still struggled remembering everybody's names, after having spent several months with Ace and Luffy he'd managed to pick up almost all of them, and could bluff his way through a conversation with almost anyone else.

Izo had been the easiest to remember, because he often spent a lot of time chasing after Luffy in an attempt to get him to behave, and Sabo was often roped in to help. (There had been one time a few weeks ago where Luffy had gotten himself kidnapped, and though still unsure about his fighting ability, Sabo had still charged in there with Ace and beaten Luffy's kidnapper to a bloody pulp. Considering that Luffy still had bandages wrapped around his arm and abdomen from thatparticular adventure, Sabo knew that his and Ace's attack hadn't been overkill.)

Thatch and Marco were the two second easiest to remember, Marco because his hair looked so strange and Thatch for much the same reason. As Thatch took great delight in convincing Ace to act like an idiot, however, Sabo often found himself dragging the both of them away from alcohol or the edges of rooves.

"Wanna dance?" Luffy asked, suddenly appearing in front of him, and he flinched back slightly, startled. He hesitated, biting his lip, but at the sight of Luffy's eager face he found himself nodding.

Luffy grinned, grabbing his hand and tugging him closer to one of the speakers. Sabo paused, unsure of what how they were meant to dance to the pounding pop song, but when Luffy started to flail in a semi-rhythmic way, forced himself to relax. Even if the only practice he had dancing was to a ballroom waltz, all he had to do was follow Luffy's example and let his limbs go wherever they wanted.

With Ace and Luffy, it was always about having fun – not about what looked best, or what other people would approve of.

As the next song came on, he let himself flop, laughing at the sight of Luffy pinching his nose and wriggling down to the floor, before popping back up and repeating the motion. He copied Luffy through his laughter, and then Luffy grabbed his wrists, swinging him around.

Sabo yelped in surprise, stumbling over his own feet before he caught his balance again, and Luffy turned slightly before yelling over the music and beckoning to Ace, "Come dance with us!" he called. Ace stubbornly shook his head, and Luffy broke from their whirling, tugging Sabo over to where Ace was situated by the bar. " _Pleeeeease_ Ace?" Luffy begged, batting his eyelashes, and Sabo grinned.

"C'mon you big _baby,_ " he teased, and Ace wrinkled up his nose, sneering at him.

"I don't dance," Ace said, and Luffy looked absolutely delighted.

"I say you can." He said, grinning expectantly, and Ace groaned, resting his head in his hands. Luffy burst into laughter, and Sabo looked between the two of them in confusion.

"It's the baseball song from High School Musical," Haruta said, leaning over the bar to inform Sabo of what had made Ace look so disgruntled. Sabo covered his laugh with one hand, but was unable to stop his laughter when Ace grumbled angrily,

"Not a chance,"

"If I can do this-," Luffy said, jumping up and down

"Then you can do that," Sabo added.

Ace finally grinned, rolling his eyes but hopping off his bar stool and letting Sabo and Luffy pull him into the crowd, "But I don't dance."

* * *

A few hours later found Sabo, Luffy and Ace stumbling across the pavement, laughing like idiots again.

"Remember when Atmos' beard caught on fire at Haruta's birthday?" Ace said, stumbling into Sabo and slinging his arm over Sabo's shoulder. Startled, Sabo looked at him before grinning, feeling his skin warm from the comforting touch.

"Atmos you're on fire!" Luffy and Sabo crowed, and Ace burst into elated laughter. Ace leaned into Sabo even further, and Sabo caught Luffy looking between the two of them, a flash of seriousness on his face.

Then, it vanished, and he grabbed Sabo's hand, tugging him forwards as he yelled, "Run!"

"What?" Sabo said, listening to Luffy laugh as he got his feet under him, "Why?"

"We're gonna lock Ace out," he giggled, and Sabo had to hide a snort, his feet pounding the pavement.

"Go home!" Ace shouted from behind them, and Luffy laughed even louder.

"Yes Ace!"

They skidded round a corner, hands still clasped, and Sabo didn't bother holding off his elated laughter. His side hurt from both a stitch and his fight and his breath was harsh in his throat from the cold, but he felt gloriously, gloriously _alive._

Luffy bounded through the alley, his grin wide and his own laughter filling the air, and then they were skidding into their ratty apartment, slamming the door shut. Sabo collapsed against it, panting but feeling his laughter bubble through his body.

Sharp knuckles rapped against the wood, and Sabo clapped his hand over his mouth before he could start sniggering. "Hey," Ace said, suddenly seeming to catch on. "Oy, guys, open the door!"

"Oh, sorry Ace!" Sabo teased, and Luffy started giggling even more. "Looks like you're locked out!"

"Let me _in!_ " Ace yelled, banging on the wood, but Luffy laughed at his anger, pressing his back to the door. Ace's next growl was unintelligible, dissolving into a yell, and Sabo couldn't help grinning.

He could hear Ace begin to pace outside the door, and could practically envision him scowling – he'd seen the expression often enough when they'd first met. Ace's footsteps stopped, and Luffy cautiously leaned forwards to press his ear to the door and listen for noise. Sabo watched as Luffy frowned and then glanced at him, and so was privy to the look of horror he knew was mirrored on his face when they heard a thump from upstairs.

They were frozen for a moment, before they both turned to look at the stairs.

Ace stood at the top, his shirt and jacket in one hand. His face was twisted in a scowl, and for another second they were all still. Then, Luffy began to scramble for the lock, trying to get out of the apartment before Ace could come down the stairs and attack them.

Ace leapt down the half-built staircase and Luffy screamed, bolting for the nearest door. Sabo couldn't help but echo him, yelling as he sprinted away and tried to find someplace to hide. Thankfully Ace went after Luffy first, and Sabo could hear in the other room that Luffy was shrieking, obviously caught.

"I'll be back for you," he heard Ace threaten, close to the stairs again, and Sabo skidded through the lounge, trying to stifle his laughter. Luffy was laughing hysterically, gasping out warnings for Sabo whenever he could, and that sound did little to help Sabo keep quiet.

He pressed his back to the wall, chest heaving, and watched as Ace raced through the hall, missing him completely. Before Ace could turn and spot him, he'd slipped around the door again, heading back to the stairs where Luffy was tied.

Stumbling to a stop, Sabo quickly kneeled, trying to untangle Ace's shirt from Luffy's hands. Luffy stared at him in surprise for a moment before grinning. His giggles returned, and Sabo frantically tried to shush him, but his laughter was infectious and Sabo couldn't help his own laughter as he worked on untying Luffy's hands.

Ace tackled his legs from behind and Sabo was sent sprawling with a yelp. Ace's hands immediately tightened around Sabo's ankles, though he thrashed, and he wriggled, kicking out in his attempt to get Ace off him.

His foot impacted with something and Ace cried out, reeling backwards. " _Shit!_ " Ace cursed, holding his cheek.

"Oh my god, Ace I'm so sorry-," worry and panic immediately surged in his chest, and Sabo craned his neck forwards, fingers peeling Ace's hand away as he tried to see what he'd done. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Ace glanced at him before sniffling, and a slow grin spread across his face. Sabo felt his stomach sink as Ace asked, "Kiss it better?"

He could feel his face begin to burn at Ace's innocent words, but from the look on Ace's face he knew that it'd been meant in all seriousness. A serious joke – now there was something he never thought he'd come across. Then again, he'd never thought he'd come across a joke he'd actually find funny, either.

Ace was still regarding him, face tilted, and Sabo forced his eyes not to drift down his neck and to his now bare collarbone. Sabo swallowed back his thumping heart, leaning forwards and pressing a kiss to the corner where Ace's nose and cheek met.

"Wait, wait, Sabo-!" he heard Luffy say, and then felt Ace's jacket tighten around his hands. Looking down, he saw that Ace had managed to tie it while he'd been distracted in worry and had pulled the knot tight when Sabo had kissed him.

Ace's grin grew even wider, and Sabo's mouth dropped open. "You _shit._ "

"You really made me feel better though, Sabo," he teased and Sabo stared at him in astonishment.

"You're a _cheat_!" he exclaimed, but Ace only laughed.

"I'm a cheat that has you completely at my mercy." Ace said, and gave a firm tug on the end of the jacket wound around Sabo's wrists. Sabo jerked, surprised by the sudden pressure on his hands, and gave Ace a glare. "Now, what to do with you two…"

"Please don't take away my meat again, please don't take away my meat again," Sabo heard Luffy begin to mumble next to him, and had to stifle a laugh. However, when he tried to shoot Ace a challenging look, silently daring him to do his worst, Ace grinned and tugged his jacket again.

God _damn._ That was going to get annoying if he kept doing it!

Ace grabbed hold of Luffy's hands to prevent him from escaping, slipping off his belt from where it kept Luffy tied to the staircase banister and tying both Sabo and Luffy together. Luffy shot Sabo a flat-lipped look of regret, and Sabo smiled nervously back as Ace cracked his knuckles, grin widening.

"I suppose classic torture works," Ace said, and then lunged forwards. Luffy yelped, squirming like a worm on a hook, but then his laughter erupted into the air. The sound was contagious, and Sabo grinned as he watched…

Until Ace turned his attention away from Luffy and onto Sabo.

"H-hey, s- _stop-!_ " Sabo cried out breathlessly, laughter hitching and uncontrollable. He now understood Luffy's desperate attempts to get away from Ace's fingers. Without the chance to escape, hands tied, it was ten times more difficult to suppress laughter and his body writhed frantically as he tried to get Ace's hands off him.

Ace leaned back, grinning as he took a break, and said, "You'll have to pay me if you want me to stop."

Luffy, still breathless, quickly cried out, "I'll give you my piggy bank!"

Sabo was ninety percent sure that Luffy's piggy bank hadn't had money in it since he'd arrived, but Ace seemed to contemplate Luffy's deal seriously and gave a short nod in agreement. Luffy was soon free, and Sabo gave an internal curse when he saw Ace's attention had turned to him.

"I've got ten bucks?" he offered, but Ace only scoffed.

"Nah, I've already got Luffy's money."

"Luffy doesn't _have_ any money!"

"I do too!" Luffy defended, huffing and crossing his arms. "I won some off Sanji when Zoro tried to drink Nami under the table."

Luffy's proud smile made Sabo grin in reflex, but it faded once he realised that he didn't have anything to bargain with, if Ace had decided money was off the table.

"I shall _stop,_ " Ace repeated, silencing Luffy's next words, "for a token of favour." He pressed a hand to his chest, and Luffy gave a laugh, likely at how silly Ace looked posing.

What on earth was Ace be talking about?

"The heck's a token?" Sabo asked, frowning, "is it like a flower or something?"

Ace's pose fell, his forehead meeting his hand with a loud _smack,_ and he groaned. " _No,_ Sabo." He said, in a voice that belied how long suffering he was. Sabo only frowned further, trying to figure out what Ace wanted.

Unless he meant-

But no! Surely not. Ace had just been joking around when he'd asked Sabo to kiss his nonexistent wound better. He couldn't possibly be trying to ask for another-

Another _kiss._

"Still not sure what you're talking about," Sabo said when met with Ace's expectant look, and Ace rolled his head back with a groan.

"It's a _kiss,"_ Luffy huffed, almost as though trying to communicate the concept it someone stupid, and Sabo felt his stomach twist. Ace really _had_ meant a kiss? But _why?_ "Why couldn't _I_ pay with a kiss?" Luffy was mumbling, pouting unhappily, and Sabo quickly turned to him, latching onto his words to try and soothe the tumbling of his insides.

"Well why don't you then? We'll switch."

Luffy's expression immediately brightened, and he pressed his lips to Ace's cheek, laughing when Ace turned to him, betrayal on his face.

" _Luffy_!" Ace complained, crossing his arms, "You can't just _switch!_ "

"Already did though," Luffy pointed out, grinning like the little shit he was, and Sabo laughed, unable to keep the sound contained. Ace turned on him then, pout on his face, and leaned forwards.

"Luffy already paid you!" Sabo quickly cried, and Ace blew out half a laugh.

"I know, I'm just untying you," he said, and Sabo felt embarrassment burn his cheeks. "I wasn't _serious,_ Sabo."

He…wasn't?

Sabo's internal panic seemed stupid now, the ridiculous assumption making him feel mortified, and with that embarrassment can the crushing question;

Had Ace meant his earlier flirt as a joke, too?

When faced with the prospect that Ace had only been joking, his stomach dropped and for some reason his beating heart, earlier so frantic, now seemed like mush. It filled his throat, making him feel like he was choking, and he gave a weak smile back.

Why…why on earth was he upset by Ace claiming it had been a joke?

He didn't really-

Ace and he, that was something that Sabo hadn't even _thought_ about, so why did the thought – the curiosity – of _Ace_ nowfill him?

Ace's jacket slipped from his hands, Ace gently rubbing his wrists like he'd done to Luffy a few minutes earlier, and Sabo ignored how his thoughts encouraged him to lean forwards and press Ace's asked for 'token' against Ace's lips. He wouldn't ruin his friendship with them just because Ace's joking flirts had made him want to-

Sabo refused to finish the thought, banishing it from his head. It'd go away soon.

It had to.


	5. Chapter 5

A few hours later, after they'd divided their food supplies, Sabo was curled up in what had become their sleeping quarters. His legs were bent beneath him, and he idly went over letters in the dim streetlight, trying to figure out another way to teach Luffy the alphabet. Footsteps, quiet against the wood, were what roused him from his thoughts. Sabo looked up to see Ace framed by the broken window, shadows highlighting his collarbone and smoothing the harsh edges of his body.

With another few steps, Ace had kneeled down next to Sabo, letting his legs collapse beneath him. "Can I borrow this?" he asked, tapping the book cover and Sabo stared for a second.

"Sure," he agreed as soon as he'd regained his senses, and handed the book over easily. "Mind if I ask why?"

Ace paused for a moment, fingers wrapped around the cover, but then flashed Sabo a grin, teeth gleaming yellow in the streetlight. "Because I want your attention on me."

Sabo felt his heart leap in his chest, tight and fast, and quickly turned his attention to the window and the city he could see outside. He couldn't get his stupid heart to stop thumping, no matter how many angry words he directed its way.

"Wow, narcissistic much," he joked weakly, but saw Ace narrow his eyes and move until they were face to face again.

"I mean it, Sabo." Ace said, and Sabo had to swallow back his beating heart. He could feel Ace's fingertips as they pressed to his cheek, the warmth of Ace's palm cupping his chin, and had to swallow again, knowing Ace could likely feel his thundering pulse.

Hot air brushed his lips as Ace regarded him, the glimmer of his eyes and the gold of his eyelashes all Sabo could see. "Ace-," he said, the sound half-formed, and saw Ace's eyes vanish behind his eyelids as he leaned forwards, cutting the distance between them in half until their noses brushed. "Ace, _don't_!" he exclaimed, finally breaking the spell of silence that had captured him, and saw Ace jump, pulling away.

The sudden cold where Ace's hand had been before made Sabo long for it to return, but he knew that as much as he wanted to press forwards and continue what Ace had been about to do, he couldn't.

He was _lying_ to them.

He was _lying_ to Ace!

Lying to him about so many things – about what Sabo had done, where he'd come from, he was lying to Ace and Luffy about _everything._

Would Ace even like him if Sabo told him where he'd originally come from? Maybe Luffy wouldn't care, but Sabo had heard enough on Ace's opinions about nobles to last a lifetime, and _all_ of them had been negative. How would Ace react if he learnt that he'd been harbouring one for the past few months? How would he react to knowing that Sabo had been _lying_ to him?

Sabo didn't want Ace to think he'd been leading him on, and if Ace kissed him and later found out Sabo was a noble then he _knew_ that'd be what Ace thought.

And Sabo-

God, he couldn't stand that prospect. Even the mere thought of Ace detesting him, detesting the noble blood he carried in his veins – it felt as though there was a hole in his chest.

But Sabo couldn't tell them. He _couldn't!_ Not when Ace and Luffy had been the ones to accept him into their little circle, took him in regardless of what power his last name provided.

Ace's confused, heartbroken expression, however, made Sabo want to throw his thoughts out the window, made him want to lean forwards and kiss it away, and it was all he could do to stop himself.

"I-," Ace started, and Sabo pleaded for his voice to work again, for _anything_ to help him fix what he'd inadvertently done, "I'm sorry."

For a brief second, Sabo was witness to the pain on Ace's face, the lights from outside enough to let him see it, but then Ace's expression closed off. His grin looked wobbly, barely reaching his eyes, and Sabo's throat tightened even more.

Though he begged his logical side to let him speak and appease the anguish surging through him, his mind beat it back with thoughts of how angry Ace would be once he found out Sabo was a noble. Even if he tried to explain it, he knew Ace's temper – heightened by betrayal – would never let him get out a full apology. He knew with painful certainty that if he kissed Ace now, Ace would never forgive him for lying and would likely believe everything Sabo had told them to be a lie.

His teeth bit into his cheek, a sharp stab of physical pain to ground himself, and Sabo turned his back on Ace, settling to the floor. He needed the time to lash his emotions down, to steady himself, to ensure he didn't break as he said, "I- it's fine. Goodnight, Ace."

If the words were quieter than he'd wanted, no-one would know but him.

* * *

Sabo spent most of the night restless, trying to sleep but unable to forget. No matter how many times he tried to shove the image of Ace leaning in the kiss him out of his head, it seemed determined to replay constantly, keeping him from sleep. It meant in the morning that he was both tired and hungry, and it took more will than he wanted to keep acting normally and say good morning to Ace.

Ace disappeared soon after their meagre breakfast, and Sabo pulled out Luffy's book, intent on teaching him to try and get his mind off yesterday. Luffy seemed to pick up his unease, however, and spent the whole afternoon fidgeting. It didn't help to improve Sabo's mood at all, and Sabo eventually slammed the book shut, making Luffy jump.

"C'mon, let's go visit your friends, huh? I think we both could use a distraction." He gave Luffy a weak grin, but Luffy didn't smile back, his expression serious.

"What'd you do to Ace?" he asked, and Sabo felt his shoulders slump helplessly.

"I didn't do anything," Sabo said, and added to himself, _I think that's what the problem is._

"What'd Ace do to you?" Luffy said, switching tactics, and Sabo tilted his head to the ceiling, unable to take Luffy's persistence.

" _Nothing_ ," he replied, and Luffy huffed, crossing his arms.

"Then why're you acting like he stuck hornets in your bed and didn't say sorry!"

"What is _with_ that allegory?" Sabo asked, but Luffy only looked even grumpier at Sabo's light-hearted tone, his pout worsening.

" _Sabo,_ " he demanded, and Sabo now knew how Ace felt when faced with Luffy's pout. He wanted to look everywhere but at Luffy, head tilted guiltily away from Luffy's pointed _look._ "Saboooo," Luffy repeated, and Sabo bit his tongue, pursing his lips. Unwittingly, he let his gaze flick to Luffy, and he cursed internally at the sight of Luffy's puppy dog face. He caved soon after with a huffy sigh, trying not to feel bitter about it.

"Ace tried to kiss me yesterday," he admitted, letting his legs drop under him and sitting next to Luffy again.

Luffy looked excited, brightening almost instantly, and said, "Yeah? That's good!"

"We didn't kiss, Luffy."

" _Why?_ " Luffy said, frowning,"You like him, right? People kiss people they like."

"It's _complicated_."

"Is this about you getting married?" Luffy said, squinting at him, and Sabo felt his mouth drop open, heart stopping in horror.

"Wh-what? Luffy, where'd you hear that?" Sabo laughed awkwardly, trying not to panic. Where _could_ he have gotten an idea like that? Sabo had never mentioned anything like it, he'd made sure of it!

"Vivi told me," Luffy said nonchalantly, and Sabo stared.

"You're- you're friends with Vivi Nefertari?"

Luffy nodded quickly, grinning. "Yeah! She's really pretty, and really nice, and she _really_ likes Nami, but her dad has all these problems with this guy called Crocodile, and I've been trying to sort it out for her, but it's _really_ hard."

Sabo stared, unable to figure out a way to answer that wasn't some useless form of, 'huh?' Luffy waited expectantly for Sabo to regain his voice, but all he could figure out to ask was,

"And- and when did you-? The- the marriage thing?"

"Vivi told me." Luffy answered simply, and as Sabo opened his mouth to demand _when?_ Luffy quickly continued. "Ages ago when we were at that Whitebeard party. She showed up but then she saw you and got worried that you were here to spy on us, to try and stop her from not getting married."

Sabo scoffed, head jolting and then dropping so he could study the floor, "Tell her I ain't interested in getting married either."

"I told her you liked Ace, and then she stopped being so worried!" Luffy replied, grinning and laughing his breathy little laugh, and Sabo covered his face with one hand, unable to stop the rueful grin on his face.

"Wow," he drawled. "Thanks Luffy."

"Everyone can _tell,_ " Luffy defended sulkily. "Chopper's the one who told me, and Chopper doesn't notice _anything._ "

Sabo's groan grew slightly louder, and both hands now covered his face. "Freakin' _perfect,_ " he mumbled, before peeling his hands away from his face so he could look to Luffy. "Was it that obvious to Ace?"

"Nope." Luffy said, gently rocking back and forth, "He was really worried about it, even though everyone told him it'd be fine."

 _Great,_ Sabo thought to himself mockingly, trying to ignore the pang in his chest at the knowledge that Ace had been worried about confessing to him, and then Sabo had gone and completely blown it. His thumbs pressed into his temples as he tried to will away his headache, but it did little good.

He wanted to go back to being friends with Ace, but the weight of carrying around his secret – even though it had lightened now Luffy had confessed he'd known all along and hadn't thought any different of Sabo – felt like it would crush his every attempt. How could he stand calling himself Ace's friend when he couldn't even tell Ace the truth?

Even if-

Even if Ace hated him for it, Sabo still needed to confess the only secret hiding between them. If Ace didn't hate him, then maybe they'd be able to grow closer – but if he did, then Sabo would still at least have Luffy and the rest of the friends he'd made. Some of them would side with Ace, certainly, and he wouldn't blame them, but at least he'd still be able to call these people his family.

He couldn't stand to lose both Luffy and Ace in one swift admittance, but he knew with sudden, startling certainty that Luffy would still call him a friend, and his brother. That was more than enough for Sabo, when he'd thought at first that he'd be surviving alone, and had been hesitant to trust any sort of familial tie at all.

"Do you know where he is?" he asked Luffy, trying to gather up his courage and banish the anxiety churning in his gut as he stood, and Luffy shrugged.

"With Marco?"

* * *

Ace wasn't with Marco.

He wasn't with Thatch or Izo or Whitebeard, or even with Shakky or Iva-chan.

Sabo had looked through all their familiar haunts and hadn't seen a single sign of Ace. Even asking people if they'd seen him had led to a dead end, and while it was possible one of them had been lying to him, Sabo didn't want to think on that; because who else would have asked them to lie but Ace?

The last place he had to visit was Rayleigh's ring, but his hopes were low as he slugged through the streets, bypassing people mechanically. If he hadn't found Ace with any of their other friends, then why would he be with Rayleigh?

He pushed open the door of Rayleigh's bar, the low hum of quiet music escaping into the dying afternoon, and stepped inside, immediately scanning the room for the sight of Ace's bright hat.

It hovered near Haruta, who was wiping down the tables and setting out chairs, and Sabo headed for it before nerves could take a hold.

"Ace-," he said, as soon as he got close enough, and watched Ace jump, whirling to face him. Quickly, before Ace could interrupt, he blurted, "I have to tell you something."

Ace frowned, his hand fisting his pocket, but he didn't tell Sabo to leave, instead cautiously saying, "Yeah?"

"I-," Sabo said, before heaving a deep breath and screwing his eyes shut. "I- I'm a noble."

Stunned silence was his reply, and he cautiously squinted through his eyelashes, getting a glimpse of Ace's shocked face. "A- a noble?" Ace parroted, and Sabo nodded, hoping from the bottom of his heart that Ace's surprise would fade and he'd say _it doesn't matter._ Sabo's hopes were dashed, though, when Ace's eyes slowly narrowed and he asked, "So, all those times you told us about you living on the streets like us- that was-"

Sabo's gaze flicked to the floor, hot shame surging through him. "I never- I never meant for it to get this far-"

" _This far_?" Ace said, his voice slowly rising, "So- what? Your plan was to mess around with two brats on the street?"

"What? No!"

"You think I'm _stupid?_ " Ace hissed, his hands clenched in fists. "I knew something about you didn't add up! I should've _known_ you were lying!"

"Look, Ace I'm _sorry_ I didn't tell you, okay! I was just-"

"Just what? Having a laugh at the stupid street rats and their make-believe brotherhood?"

"Stop it Ace! I _wanted_ to tell you-"

"So why didn't you?"

"I was afraid!"

"That's not an excuse!"

"So you weren't afraid when you tried to kiss me!?"

"I never would have tried if I'd known what you were!"

Sabo recoiled, blood running cold, and though he could see Ace flinch, teeth clenched, he couldn't help the sick twist in his stomach. "Sorry I disgust you so much," he spat, and watched as Ace opened his mouth before biting back what he wanted to say.

 _You knew this would happen,_ he tried to tell himself, like that would ever make the ache in his chest go away, but his heart had already climbed from his chest to his throat and left a hollow behind his ribcage. _Why would he care after you told him where you were from?_

 _You'd been lying to him this whole time. Why'd you expect him to forgive you so easily?_

"I-" Ace started, and Sabo could see his hands twitch into fists. "I don't want you around Luffy anymore."

Sabo pressed his lips together and gave a shaky nod, focussing on the ground near Ace's feet. "I'll-" he croaked hoarsely, before heaving a breath and telling himself to stop being such a _weakling,_ in a voice that sounded so much like his father's he almost flinched. "I'll get my stuff tomorrow, if you take him out then."

Ace's head jerked in a nod, but neither of them moved.

No matter what he wanted to say, he couldn't get his mouth to form another apology, his throat choked with the weight of words unsaid.

"For- for what it's worth," Sabo finally said as he turned away, watching his feet twist the gravel under his shoes and resisting the urge to stop himself; if he was going to leave, then he wanted this to be what he left Ace with. "The only reason- I didn't kiss you was because I was worried you'd hate me after I told you my secret." He scoffed, his head dropping, and grinned mockingly at the ground. "Guess it wouldn't have mattered much anyway."

Every part of his body urged him to run, to pound out the agony of loneliness that permeated his core, but he merely curled his fingers towards his palms and left Rayleigh's bar behind him.

 _Turn around,_ his heart begged, but he shoved it to the back of his mind, focusing on the beat of his feet against the pavement.

He'd known Ace would get mad but- but _god!_

How could he have messed this up so badly? _How?_

He should've spoken up, told Ace where he could stuff his order to stay away from Luffy, but instead he'd folded like a piece of wet paper, unable to take the painful loss of his hope as every word Ace said ripped it away.

Preoccupied by his thoughts, he didn't realise a second pair of footsteps had joined his until a voice spoke up from behind him.

"Hey, Outlook," someone said, and Sabo felt a flash of fear override his melancholy, rushing through his body. On instinct he turned his head, trying to find out who'd said the name he so despised and why they'd said it to him, but hands wrapping around his forearms and shoulders stopped him. Panic surged in his chest, unstoppable, and he futilely tried to yank his arms out of their grip.

"Sabo," came someone's familiar voice, and he froze, all fight fleeing him. His stomach knotted, and he tore his eyes away from the men who had grabbed him to his father, standing across from him, a sneer on his face. "What were you even _doing_ down here, Sabo?"

 _No,_ he couldn't help but think, watching his father's lips continue to move, but the sound drifted through his ears like he was underwater, the words landing on his chest like weights. His father began to walk, sharp wrist twisted in a dismissive movement that made Sabo's stomach clench.

 _No!_ he thought as hands shoved him forwards, but inbuilt fear prevented him from fighting back, and his father's nails fastened around his shoulder, digging into the skin next to his spine.

"It's time to go home, Sabo," his father said, lips stretched in a thin smile.

 _That place had never been home._

* * *

Luffy tore through Rayleigh's bar like a hurricane, his hair wild and eyes panicked. "Someone took Sabo!" he shouted to the almost empty bar, and Haruta's head snapped from the counter.

" _What_?" Haruta asked, before demanding, "Luffy, why didn't you do something?"

"I _tried!_ " he said, lower lip quivering, "but I didn't realise it was Sabo until they shoved him in the car and then I tried to run after it but they wouldn't stop and- and-"

He heaved in a desperate breath, the sound of it hitching in his throat, and Haruta quickly jumped the counter, casting a brief, confused glance at Ace. "It's alright," they soothed, enfolding Luffy's shaking body in a hug, "we'll get him back, Luffy."

"He wanted to go." Ace mumbled, hand tightening around his glass.

"What?" Luffy asked, frowning at him, and Ace tore his gaze off the bar to glare.

"Sabo," Ace clarified. "He wanted to go."

Luffy pulled himself from Haruta's grasp, and in two quick steps stood across from Ace and reeled back to punch him in the chest.

Haruta gasped, hands flying to their face as Ace let out a surprised yelp and was sent sprawling. "You told him to leave, didn't you?" Luffy demanded, lips bared in a snarl, and Ace wiped alcohol off his mouth with a vicious swipe.

"So what if I did?" he said, and Luffy's growl resounded in his throat, making Ace add, "He was lying to us!"

"He was lonely!" Luffy cried, torn between anger and tears, "And we're his brothers!"

"Are you sure?" Ace demanded, "Brothers wouldn't li-"

"Stop being _stupid_! How many times did you lie to me as a kid!? You'd say you ate when you didn't, you'd lie about your bruises, you've lied to me about a hundred things! And don't you dare tell me it's different. You wanted to protect yourself from me, he wanted to protect himself from us!"

"Why would he need to?" Ace said, his anger slowly falling from his tone, "Why couldn't he just tell us?"

"Look how well that went," Luffy scoffed, and the full realization finally seemed to hit Ace, making him flinch.

"Where is he?" Ace said, climbing off the floor, but Luffy only shook his head, admitting helplessly,

"I don't know."


	6. Chapter 6

The car door slamming behind him signified the loss of any of the meager freedoms Sabo had managed to collect over the years, and the delirious rush of choice he'd faced over the last few months. His conversation was dictated by his fear, tongue heavy in his mouth, and his father continued to _talk,_ nonsensical, useless babble filling the car as he idly told Sabo about what had happened that day, as though Sabo hadn't been gone for months.

And then they'd arrived at his house.

With another quick flick Sabo's father had dismissed the driver and the mustached gardener hovering around in the main hall, directing them to his main maid. Sabo had followed dutifully, 'encouraged' by the guards hovering at his back but unable to do anything more than try to remember to keep breathing.

The door clicked shut behind the florist, and Sabo suddenly found himself on the floor, his cheek smarting. Surprise reined more than pain did, but it still stung and he clutched it, staring at his father.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" his father asked, and for a moment, Sabo was still stuck reconciling what had happened. His father threateningly raising his hand made Sabo grit his teeth, however, and he spat proudly,

"I'm not sorry."

Another sharp _crack_ filled the air when his father's palm met his cheek, and he was sent sprawling again, barely able to hold onto his defiance.

"Get to your room." His father growled, "Immediately!"

Sabo arched his chin, letting a sneer grow on his face, and though he was shoved forwards and lost his balance again as he got up, he still held his spine straight, refusing to bow like he'd done for so many years.

The stairs beneath his feet were polished and shined and _safe,_ and all he wanted to see was rotting wood instead of marble. Every step he took made him feel like he was being pulled further and further away from Ace and Luffy, and though he knew he'd likely never see either of them again, the feeling still made him want to turn around and bolt past every guard his father sent to stop him.

His room had been ransacked.

For a moment, Sabo felt angry despair bubble in his chest; the one place he'd ever considered his, and his father had brutally destroyed it, as though it could point him in the direction Sabo had gone. His journals, for years so carefully hidden, lay sprawled on the desk, and he could see pages viciously ripped from the middle.

He was prodded inside, and then the door slammed shut behind him and Sabo finally let himself collapse, his legs sinking beneath him. He'd buried his head in his arms and bit his knee in an effort to stop any sound, but sobs still escaped him, and tears stained his scuffed pants.

That had been the last time he'd allowed himself to cry.

He'd barely been able to leave his room for almost a week, only allowed out for meals that he had to spend with his family. Guards stayed stationed outside his door, ready to report on any of his activities, and every time he so much as looked towards anything his father considered improper, he found a hand adorned with rings brought down on his cheek.

His cheek still stung, and Sabo tried to distract himself by tracing patterns in the dark roof, pushing every lonely thought from his head.

A creak sounded outside his window, accompanied by hushed whispers, and he bolted upright in bed. "No," he breathed, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and hurrying to the balcony. He threw open the doors, and Ace and Luffy stared back at him in surprise, before Luffy's face split into a wide grin.

"Sabo!" he cheered, scrambling over Sabo's balcony and latching onto him.

"Wh- what are you doing here?" he stammered, his eyes darting between Ace and Luffy, and Luffy peeled off him, hands still latched on Sabo's shoulders.

"We're here to save you!" he said, and before Sabo could even think of protesting had added, "And Ace has something to say."

Ace flushed in the darkness, his shoulders flying to his ears, but under Luffy's disapproving look he choked out, "I- I'm sorry, Sabo. You're our brother and I- I should never have let something as stupid as your blood come between us. We were brothers in the first place without thinking of it."

Sabo clenched his fists, sharp pinpricks of pain digging into his palm.

They-

They thought he was their _brother?_

His heart soared for a second, but the knowledge of his situation crashed into him seconds later and he had to stop himself from heaving a dry sob. Almost choking on the words, knowing how much they would hurt Ace and Luffy but knowing that unless he could get _rid_ of them then Luffy and Ace were going to get hurt, Sabo spat out bitterly, "I'm not your brother."

"What?" Luffy said, frowning, and Sabo pushed Luffy's hand off his shoulders roughly, trying to untie the knot in his throat.

"I was never your family."

 _You wouldn't want someone like me as your family._

"Yeah you were!" Luffy cried, expression heartbroken, and Sabo tried desperately to stop the prickling sensation at the corner of his eyes. "Please Sabo, you're our brother. Come with us!"

He couldn't do this – he _couldn't_.

It had been hard enough living and knowing that his last words to Ace had been angry, he couldn't live now and know that his last words to the both of them had been more lies.

But he couldn't tell the truth.

If he told them how much he wanted to go back, to be their brother again, then he knew they'd never leave. Sabo couldn't stand being the reason they lost their freedom.

"You're a goddamn _liar,_ " Ace hissed. "You wanted to be our brother, so stop saying bullshit like that! You're our brother and that's the last of it!"

"I'm _not!_ " Sabo yelled back, trying to be angry, but all he could feel was a slowly growing hollow in his chest. "I live here. I'm the son of a noble and you two-"

"Are the only family you have, because you _hate_ your parents!" Luffy argued back, "You told me that, and I didn't forget it."

"It doesn't matter!" Sabo said, his hands shaking as he ran them through his hair, "Look, you don't understand why I'm here-"

"You're right, we don't." Ace shot, and Sabo let out a strangled cry.

" _Stop it!_ " he said, "Shut up! Just leave me alone, just _leave!_ "

"Not without you," Luffy replied stubbornly, and Sabo let out another unintelligible snarl.

"Sabo, come on," Ace said, hand outstretched, but Sabo just shook his head, unable to try and articulate words that would make them _leave._

"I _can't._ "

"Yeah you can, just jump!" Luffy said, as though it were that _simple._ Sabo could jump, but then where would he be? Hunted down by his father again, but this time bringing Ace and Luffy into danger. 

"I can't!" he repeated, hands clenched, "get the hell out of here!"

"We're _not_ leaving without you," Ace growled, jumping off the balcony into Sabo's room, and Sabo felt like screaming.

"Yeah you are!" he yelled, trying to shove Luffy and Ace off his balcony, but they only grabbed his hands, forcing him to follow. "Let _go_!"

The door behind him ruptured inwards, a stream of guards filling his room, and Sabo felt his stomach knot like he was going to be sick. Luffy and Ace shied away, uncertainty and panic clear on their faces, and Sabo desperately hoped that a lifetime of staying _away_ from any figure of the law would convince them to leave.

When Luffy's expression only became determined and Ace stepped in front of him, Sabo felt his heart sink. They couldn't do this! They just _couldn't!_ Why hadn't they left him _alone?_

"Luffy," he heard Ace order, "grab Sabo and let's go."

A chorus of clicks could be heard in the room, and when his father's guards levered their guns, Sabo couldn't help his impulsive action.

" _No!_ " he yelled desperately, jumping in front of the barrel of the closest guard's gun. His eyes squeezed shut on instinct, and he felt his heart hammer in his chest, fear desperately trying to keep him alive.

"Sabo," he heard his father growl, "get out of the way. No-one will miss them."

" _I WILL!_ " he hollered, body shaking, "They're my brothers!"

Stunned silence met his words, his father's astonished gaze caught on him, and for a moment Sabo almost though that his father would understand the depth of Sabo's feelings for Ace and Luffy.

Then, his father's expression narrowed, and Sabo's heart sank like a lead weight. "Even more reason for you to get out of the way." His father said, and his voice was so cold Sabo felt frozen.

There was another beat of silence, Sabo's courage wavering in the gap, but he forced himself to stand tall and stand up to his father like he never had before, "…no."

"Get out of the way _now!_ " his father ordered, anger now evident in his tone, and Sabo flinched. Every time his father had sounded that angry before he'd usually followed it up with a slap that'd left Sabo reeling, and now the instinct was buried so deeply within him he couldn't help it.

Footsteps pounded on the floor, and Sabo's eyes flew open when he realised where they'd come from. Luffy lunged past him with a growl, and Sabo's fingers just grazed his red shirt, unable to stop him.

There was a sharp _bang,_ and Sabo couldn't do anything but watch in horror as Luffy faltered before losing his balance, knees thumping against the floor.

" _Luffy!_ " he heard Ace scream, but the sound was muffled like Sabo had cotton wool in his ears.

What had- what had just happened? Luffy couldn't have-

Sabo watched as Luffy's fingers fluttered over the dark crimson stain, the patch steadily growing from Luffy's side.

Sweat-

It was only sweat staining his shirt a darker colour, surely-?

Luffy pulled his red hand away from his side, and Sabo's mind suddenly kicked back into gear, panic roaring uncontrollably as his shock broke. _That was blood!_

Ace skidded past him, catching Luffy as he slumped to the floor, and pressed his hands to Luffy's side to try and stop the bleeding. Desperate words fell from Ace's lips, nonsensical, panicked mumbles running into each other. Broken from his shocked stillness, Sabo rushed forwards to try and get to Luffy, but was stopped by the barrel of a gun again.

The hard metal pushed into his chest, and he tilted his head up to stare at the guard holding the weapon, anger in his eyes. "Get out of the way!" he growled, trying to move past the guard, but the pressure of the gun didn't change and he was forced back a step.

"Sabo," he heard his father say calmly, and though he didn't want to tear his gaze away from Luffy in case Luffy vanished before his eyes, Sabo turned. His father looked unruffled, uncaring of the boy bleeding out on his floor. "He'll die."

The realisation had hit him a few seconds before, but hearing it come from his father's mouth in such a flat tone made his heart stop. Luffy couldn't- he _couldn't_ -!

"Please," he found himself saying, "please, you have to let me help him- he has to get help-"

"Well he can't get help here now can he?"

It sounded like a _joke._

Like his father was making a _joke._

Sabo felt surging hatred erupt in his chest, desperate, agonised fury, but his father was unbowed by Sabo's glare. It fact, he was smiling as though Sabo had given him a gift, languid and amused. "Come now Sabo, this ruse may have fooled them but you can't _truly_ care. They're so much lower than us!"

He could see from the corner of his eye that Ace looked almost heartbroken, staring at Sabo like he truly had betrayed them, and Sabo clenched his fists. "They're my brothers! They're more my family than you ever were, and that means that they're not lower than me!"

"Sabo," his father growled, his smile flickering into a frown, "Honestly, it was funny the first time, but I'm starting to get irritated with this-,"

"Good!" Sabo yelled, a hysterical half-laugh bubbling to his lips, and now his father's expression was furious.

"I'm not above using force to get what I want!" his father strode to the nearest guard, yanking their gun from them and then levering it at Ace. "They either leave and you stop acting like a spoilt brat, or-" the gun cracked again, and Ace and Luffy jolted back. A tiny smoking hole now rested in the floorboards of Sabo's room, and his ears rung from the sound. His father grinned at the sight, before turning to face Sabo again. "Well let's say that neither of them will be leaving."

"You can't do this!" Ace cried out, trying to stand up, but at Luffy's cry of pain he quickly moved back, keeping pressure on Luffy's wound.

Sabo's father completely ignored Ace. His challenging glare was locked on Sabo, daring Sabo to say _anything_ that would prompt him to pull the trigger, but Sabo couldn't speak, heart in his throat. "Don't-" he begged.

"Don't what?" his father asked evenly, levering the gun away from the floor and aiming it at Ace's head. Sabo saw Ace's eyes widen, body shying away, but he couldn't move lest he make Luffy's wound bleed even more profusely.

"Don't hurt them! _Please!_ " Sabo cried, trying to move forwards, but the gun at his chest stopped him and he desperately continued, "Please, I promise I'll do whatever you want just- don't hurt them! Don't hurt them!"

"Sabo don't you dare!" Ace yelled, but with a languid wave of his father's hand a guard stepped forwards, cracking down the butt of their gun on Ace's shoulder.

He cried out in pain, and Sabo tried to lunge forwards, this time stopped by hands wrapping around his shoulders and dragging him back. "No!" he said, struggling frantically, "No, don't! I said I'd do anything!"

" _Sabo,_ no-" he heard Luffy say, but the sound of his little brother's shaking voice didn't do anything but solidify his resolve.

" _Please_ ," he begged quietly, head feeling too heavy for his neck as he bowed it, "please just- just get them help. I'll do anything, just please let Luffy get help-"

There was a moment where Sabo was afraid that his father wouldn't listen to him, but the hands loosened from his shoulders and he couldn't help but breathe a shaky sigh of relief, shoulders slumping.

His heart ached in his chest, like with every beat it was trying to burst from under his bones, but he shoved it down, trying to convince himself to look at Ace and Luffy. He needed to know that they were alright, but their expressions-

God, he didn't want to see their expressions.

Sabo could see their bodies moving, slowly, but then Luffy whirled and tried to reach him again, hand outstretched. Sabo flinched, stepping back and catching sight of the desperation on Luffy's face, but then one of the guards stepped in front of him, grabbing Luffy's fingers and bending them backwards. He cried out in pain, and Sabo tried to reach him, but guards made him stop again.

"Luffy!" Ace cried out, thrashing against his own guards.

"I'm being _generous,_ here," his father spat, "Sabo-"

The unsaid threat made him jerk as though he'd been zapped with electricity and he straightened. "You said-!" his father's glare cut him off, and Sabo clenched his hands. "…leave." He said to Ace and Luffy, eyes fastened on the ground, and saw Luffy's fingers scrabble against the floor, clutching for his shoes. " _Leave!_ " he yelled and the word ripped a hole straight through his heart. "Stay the hell away from me! I don't want to ever see you again so just _leave!_ "

Screwing his eyes shut, he lifted his foot and stomped.

Luffy's fingers flattened under his boot, a strangled yell filling the air, and Sabo felt as though someone had punched him in the gut, his desperate heaving breath just short of tears. His body shuddered, a roiling rise of detest boiling in his chest, but in a few short minutes Luffy and Ace had been herded from the room and his father was the only one left with him.

When his father laid his palm against Sabo's shoulder, Sabo could only just barely resist the urge to slap it off. "I'll see to it that they get treatment. Let it not be said that I'm not a man of my word. But they _won't_ be coming back here again. Is that clear?"

His father's hand slipped off his shoulder, and Sabo wanted to throw up.

"Perfectly…Sir."

* * *

Sabo spent most of the next few days in a haze, appearing when told and making polite conversation with anyone his parents directed him to. His thoughts were filled with Ace and Luffy's pained expressions when he'd betrayed them, and Luffy's cry when Sabo had almost broken his fingers. He could barely banish the haunting memories, or the sick feeling in his stomach.

The last day of his freedom arrived and Sabo was shoved into a suit and then shuffled into the car. The trip passed too quickly, Sabo's heart sinking lower and lower as pavement passed under the car's wheels. He had time to admire the pastel flowers scattered around and the huge, intricately decorated cake, but his appreciation for them was muted like he'd been stuck in a tangible fog. The ceremony passed in a blur, words he'd been coaxed and trained to say coming automatically to his lips.

Sabo knew what came next, ' _does anyone have any objections?'_ and though he could barely bear it, hope twisted in his stomach. He'd dreamed about Ace and Luffy coming in and shouting 'we object!', in the few moments he'd had between what he knew would really happen, and those half-hopes came to him now. He knew he'd be crushed by the belief when no-one spoke up, but _God,_ he couldn't stop himself from wishing.

The pastor began to speak, and Sabo tried to crush his hopes before they killed him. "Does anyone have any-"

"I object!" a familiar voice called, and Sabo felt his heart stop. That- that had to be his imagination, surely. That couldn't be Izo, that was just his head playing tricks- "I object!" Izo called again, and Sabo's breath hitched into a sob, "That boy's not getting married today, no matter how beautiful that bride looks."

He turned, barely able to believe it, but his eyes confirmed what his ears had heard. _Izo_ was standing in the middle of the crowd, proud and defiant and looking as elegant as he always did.

"On-" the pastor said from behind him, sounding obviously confused, "on what basis?"

Izo shrugged, but when the pastor started to continue speaking, held up a neat finger. "He doesn't want to get married. So we're committing a marriage jail break."

The pastor paused again, trying to sort through what Izo had said, but then asked, "We?"

"Yes," Izo said, and grinned. " _We_."

The cake suddenly seemed to explode, splattering icing on the nearest guests, who shrieked, but all Sabo could think was _Luffy!_

Bandaged and covered in various bits of cake but healthy, Luffy grinned as he raced across the grass, ducking around guards and guests and laughing like he was playing tag.

Luffy skidded to a stop in front of the altar, eyes dancing as he said, "Hey Sabo!"

"Hey- hey Luffy," Sabo replied, still in absolute shock, and Luffy grinned even wider.

"Izo wanted to do it the dramatic way," Luffy explained, and though Sabo could feel the first dregs of panic in his chest the sight of Luffy _grinning_ at him easily beat it back.

"It certainly was dramatic," he agreed, his own laugh bubbling to his lips. Luffy darted up the short stairs and grabbed onto his wrist with a sticky hand, and Sabo let himself be pulled along, tipping his hat to his stunned bride. "Sorry for leaving you at the altar!" Sabo called, but he could see her grin and begin to laugh before the crowd cut her from view.

Luffy darted around fleeing guests and over chairs, dragging Sabo after him until Sabo realised where they were headed and was able to get his feet working. Several people grinned at him as he passed by, and Sabo was able to recognise a few as members of the Whitebeards.

Izo was soon in front of them, hands on his hips as he surveyed the chaos Luffy's arrival had caused. "Good, you rescued pretty boy." He said, and then kicked Sabo in the stomach. Sabo gave a startled grunt of pain, doubling over. Those pointed heels _hurt._ " _That_ is for lying!" Izo said angrily, before stepping down from his chair and enveloping Sabo in a hug. "This is because I'm glad you're okay."

Sabo gave a weak chuckle, still cradling his sore stomach. "Thanks Izo," he mumbled, slowly straightening with another groan.

Izo stepped away from Sabo and waved off the praise with his hand, before his eyes caught sight of someone over Sabo's shoulder and he grinned, indicating with his chin for Sabo to turn around. "Go say hi."

He turned, about to ask ' _say hi to who?_ ' but his eyes caught on Ace before he could finish speaking. Ace's shoulder was bandaged, and there were bruises over his side that Sabo knew had to have come from his father's guards, but Ace still smiled when Sabo's gaze landed on him.

His heart skipped a beat when Ace began to grin, and he couldn't help but rush forwards, meeting Ace in the middle of the crowd. Ace's arms were soon wrapped around him and Sabo spun them around, feeling as though he could fly.

Impulsively, when he stopped he dipped Ace, hands wrapped securely around Ace's back and delighting in Ace's joyful half-yelp. "Could I give you that token of favour now?" Sabo asked, grinning.

"I wouldn't argue _,_ " Ace said laughingly, before pressing forwards and kissing Sabo.

The word was silent around him, void of anything but the warmth of Ace's body against his own and the pressure of Ace's lips. Sabo wanted to stay there forever, feeling so exhilarated that the past depressing few days had practically been erased from his memory, but his arms were beginning to get sore and he slowly pulled them to a standing position again. He was breathless when Ace eventually leaned away, and happiness let the odd laugh still escape him.

His senses returned when Izo wolf-whistled, and Sabo remembered with a sudden surge of embarrassment that they had a huge audience _._ Luffy's laughter only made it worse, and Sabo buried his head in Ace's uninjured shoulder, feeling Ace's chest jump as he laughed.

"You guys made up!" Luffy said, grinning, but all Sabo could see was the collection of various appalled elderly and other astonished faces behind Luffy.

His father was going to _kill_ him _-_

" _SABO!_ " he heard his father roar, and though still held comfortingly in Ace's arms, he couldn't help the surge of panic and fear that made him tense. Ace let him go, hands sliding down Sabo's shoulders till he could tangle their fingers together.

"What are we going to do?" Sabo asked helplessly, eyes darting between Ace and Luffy, and Luffy flashed a grin at him, grabbing his other hand.

" _Run_."


End file.
